Along with the rapid increase of the use of texts and multimedia contents on the Internet and other data networks and systems, a user has become increasingly reliant on keyword-based search tools to find required information. Normally, a user enters a keyword of an inquired information document into a search tool or engine. The search tool or engine then performs a search in an indexed database and returns a search result. Generally, existing search tools or engines may further display, on a current web page or a current result page, one or more related keywords corresponding to the user input keyword (i.e., the primary keyword).
As commonly known, most users begin an online information search at a search engine, and generally search the needed information by inputting a keyword. With the accelerating pace of social changes and ongoing cultural developments, many of the fixed keywords are failing to meet the various needs of users. In particular, existing keyword search methods are no longer able to satisfy various needs of the users due to the information explosion. Keyword records are fixed, may have been created at a much earlier time, and have infrequent updates, making them unable to satisfy the requirements of the changing online contents. Take “clothes” as an example of a primary keyword. Usually, related keywords obtained for this primary keyword using existing technologies are words like “activewear” and “down coat”, etc. As the season changes, however, the related keywords that are actually wanted by a user may be “spring fashion”, “summer fashion”, and “T-shirt”, etc. Keywords obtained using existing technologies do not adapt to a usage trend of the user.
As can be seen, keyword search of existing technologies cannot satisfy the needs of users, especially in that the keywords used do not adapt to the usage trends of the users.